Audio Recordings Aren't Just for Older Adults

My daughter, Natalie, spent 18 months serving as a missionary in St. Petersburg, Russia for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She returned home a few months ago, and I asked her if she would be willing to spend an hour or so capturing her experiences.

She agreed and we set a date for the audio recording.

An hour into it, Natalie realized that she couldn't capture her many challenging, yet wonderful, experiences in a single session. Two more sessions followed. As we talked, I wondered how she had been able to endure the bitter cold and the stinging rejection she had faced on a daily basis. I admired her ability to press forward even when she and a companion had not agreed on how to approach the work.  And I marveled at her tenacity learning Russian. She went from barely understanding a single word to "mastery" (her mission president's word) of a language that uses the Cyrillic alphabet.

So why am I blogging about this? Because the stories of older adults aren't the only ones we should capture. Perhaps you know young people who have served in the military or traveled to China to teach English or spent time abroad on humanitarian adventures. We don't need to wait decades to capture their choice experiences. Let's capture them now.

Apparently, Natalie agrees with this. Today is her boyfriend's birthday, and one of her gifts to him is a gift certificate for an audio recording. (Her idea--not mine.) She knows that the personal stories of 25-year-olds have value and that they should be captured. I couldn't agree more!

Call and let's chat about recording the stories of someone you love.

'Til Then,

Heidi
801.309.6343
hhp.memories@gmail.com
www.MemoriesMilestones.zenfolio.com

Questions to Ponder

Let's imagine that you treasure the stories your mom has told you over the years. Let's also imagine that she's not inclined to write them down. What do you do?

Call me and we'll set up a time to capture these stories. Before you come, encourage her to think about a few of the following questions concerning her childhood:

• Describe your father. Describe your relationship with him.
• Describe your mother. Describe your relationship with her.
• List the names of your siblings from oldest to youngest. Describe your relationship with each sibling.
• Describe your pet(s). What role did pet(s) play in your life?
• Where did you live during your childhood?
• Describe the home(s) in which you grew up.
• Describe the neighborhood(s) in which you grew up.
• Describe the school(s) you attended as a child.
• Describe your paternal grandparents. Describe your relationship with them.
• Describe your maternal grandparents. Describe your relationship with them.
• List three important events from your childhood. Why were they significant?
• Describe a life-changing event that took place during your childhood.

My final recommendation is to gather a few of your favorite snapshots or photographs from her childhood. Then we'll have everything we need for a great audio recording session!

'Til Then,

Heidi

801.309.6343

hhp.memories@gmail.com
www.MemoriesMilestones.zenfolio.com

Introducing Audio Recordings by Memories & Milestones

When you were a kid, did you have the chance to listen as your parents or grandparents shared stories from their lives?

I did. Quite often on Sunday evenings my grandparents joined my family for dinner. It was one of my favorite times of the entire week. My mom cooked a fabulous dinner, and then my parents and grandparents told us stories from when they were young. I loved to hear those stories over and over again.

When I grew up, I started recording their stories. I knew that these stories were precious, and that my parents and grandparents would not always be here to share them with me. These recorded stories are among my most priceless possessions.

Memories & Milestones is pleased to announce StoryCapture audio recording, a new service that grows out of my love for people and their stories. If you are interested in capturing and preserving the stories of someone you care about, contact me.

Best,

Heidi Parker
801.309.6343
hhp.memories@gmail.com
www.MemoriesMilestones.zenfolio.com